Golf club



Jan. 31, 1928. 1 ,657,473

F. A. HOWARD GOLF CLUB Filed Nov. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR 771220? a. He Ward B Y ATTORNEY Jan. 31, 1928.

F. A. HOWARD GOLF CLUB Filed Nov. 2, 1927 2 Sheets-Shem 2 INVENTOR Frank 0. ffqwcvd B Y ATToRNEi' Fatented Jan. 31, 1928.

l- ATE-NT OFFICE.

FRANK A. HOWARD, ELIZABETH, NEW'J'ERSEY.

GOLF CLUB.

Application filed November 2,1927. Serial No. 230,416.

This invention relates to golf clubs of the type known as driversdand will be fully understood from the followingspecification and the appended drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a frontelevation of a driver embodying the present invention;

Fig, 2 is a side elevation;

is top plan view; And Figsl and 5 are side views of modified constructions.

The letter C represents the center of a theoretical sphere of radius R. The club head, designated H, is forpurposes of analysis, assumed to be carved out of the body of the theoretical sphere, the striking face of the head, designated F, being formed by a portion of the surface of the sphere. The portion Ofillifi surface so utilizedis a small section of the periphery of the thick disc formed by parallel planes cutting the sphere toforzn circles of intersection of radius R and R as shown in Fig. 2. This provides the necessary upward slope or loft of the striking face as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The club head is preferably'formed of.

wood, as is ordinarilythe case in clubs of this description. A striking face, sole piece, or weight, of metal, bone, gutta percha or other material may be used, these matters having no connection with the present invention; a i

The shaftof the club, designated S, is preferably formed of steel, tubular intransverse section and slightly tapered or coned in longitudinal section. It is of curved form, as illustrated, but terminates in a straight handle sect-ion L. The projected aXisof the straight handle section passes through the center C of the theoretical sphere, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, piercingthe plane of the sole of the head H at a point some distance behind the striking face F.

T he construction described is especially intended for the clubs known as drivers in which the angle A (Fig. 1) between the longitudinal plane through the shaft and the ground, or sole of the club head, is aboui more or less. The construction A applicable to similar clubs of the E. hirer and :spoouts plane;

which the angle A and likewise the 210s or inclination of the striking face is somewhat difi'erent.

In the form of the invention illustrated by the "drawing, it will benoted that the shaft S andhandleportfon L appear to be straight V to bealmost[plane-surfaced, as compared with the tZ f "ball, actuated by a straight handlewhich passes through thecenterbf the sphere. The ball beingaddressed bythe sphere, and the sphere, being thereafter swung to strike the ball witha partwof its surface approximating the part used to address 'it, the sphere being'atthe time in motion in the direction of the intended flight of the ball, a straight normal flight results. Turning or twisting of the handle L upon its own axis, as by inadvertent motion ofthe arms or wrists, results in. the point of impact shifting on thestriking face, within the limits fixedby the size of the facepbut not shifting uponthe ball itself. Off-center impactupon the ballywhich results in the spinning inotionwhich inturn produces the de Vi ation from straight flightknown as a fslice or hook istlius ohviatedY Likewise, the

swinging of the club in a direc't-ion not at right angles to its aids, as by permitting :the

club head to 1agbehindthe handle during the .efiective' portion of the stroke, cannot of itself cause off center impact upon the ball as would be the case if the striking face had a single or cylindrical curvature or were The design of the present; invent-leathere- :tore permits certain angular latitude. in the stroke without the resulting dificu'lties which such apgular variations give the.

unseat the ofth'e priojr'arty A diiliculty which is inherent in the club of the present invention lies in, the fact that off-center impact upon the ball will result when there is longitudinal displacement of the club in the act of swinging, so that the club face F does not strike the hall in the direction of the radius of the theoretical sphere at the point of impact. The greater the radius of the theoretical sphere, the less the diliiculty from this source, but the greater is the departure from normal c011- struction in the matter of the angularity of the handle L, if the theory of the present design be followed exactly. It is not required, however, that the theory be followed with strict mathematical accuracy. The advantages of the invention may be retained in important measure by constructions in which the curvature of the face F is much less than that of the theoretical sphere, or is indeed practically non-existent, and the angularity of the handle L likewise smaller than would be required to cause its projected axis to' pass through the center of curvature, Any angularity of the handle, even though small, is of importance in itself in that it gives a position of the arms which is more natural in many cases than the position required by a handle substantially in alineinent with the face of the club head.

In Fig. 4 the head H including the face F, is of standard or ordinary construction, except that the shaft S enters the head nearer the back than the face of the club. The shaft S is itself straight but the handle portion L thereof is bent sharply, so that the projected axis of the handle pierces the plane of the sole of the club head at the point C which is well back ofthe striking face of the club Fand indeed some distance back ofthe rearface of the club head.

In Fig. 5, the club headI-I is of novel form in that the neck portion of the head into which the shaft enters extends rearwardly, laterally and upwardly, instead of only laterally and upwardly as in common practice. With thishead there may be used a straight shaft S with a straight handle L in alinement therewith. The projected axis of L passing through the shaft pierces the plane of the sole of the club head at C, which, as before, is well back of the striking face F. That portion of the shaft which enters the club head is shown in dotted lines in this view, and designated SS As illustrated, it is bent at a sharp angle in order to extend the full length of the club head and emerge only at the sole.

The modified construction shown in Fig. 4: retains the advantage of the angular handle without otherwise departing from the conventional straight-shafted clubs of the priorart. In the construction of Fig. 5, there is no angularity of the handle but, through the use of the special form of club head, the axis of the handle lies well bchind the striking face.

l'Vhile I have shown and described in some detail, forms of clubs embodying my invention and have stated the mathematical basis upon which some of the features of these clubs are designed, it will he understood that such details and the reasoning advanced iu'support of the designs are all for the purpose of making the invention more clear, and that the invention is not to be regarded as limited to the specific features shown nor as dependent upon the soundness of the reasoning advanced, save to the extent that such limitations or defini tions of principles of design are included within the terms of the appended claims, in which .it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broad- 1y as is permissible in view of the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. A golf club of the driver type in which the plane of the sole of the club head is at an angle of approximately 55 to the shaft, comprising a head having a striking face, and a sl'mft secured thereto and forming a handle at its upper end, the downwardly projected axis of such handle portion of the shaft piercing the said plane at a point substantially behind the striking face.

2. A golf club of the driver type in which the plane of the sole of the club head is at an angle of approximately 55 to the shaft, comprising ahead having a striking face, and a shaft secured thereto and forming a handle at its upper end, the downwardly projected axis of such handle portion of the shaft p ercing the said plane at a point he hind the rear face of the club head.

3. A golf club of the driver type in which the plane of the sole of the club head is at an angle of approximately 55 to the shaft, comprising a head having a convex striking face of generally spherical curvature, and a shaft secured thereto and forming a handle at itsupper end, thedownwirdly projected axis of such handle portion of the shaft piercing the said plane at a. point substantialhbehind the striking face.

4. A golf club of the driver type in which the plane of the sole of the club head is at an angle of approximately 55 to the shaft, comprising a head having a convex striking face of generally spherical. curvature, and a shaft secured thereto and forming a handle at its upper end, the downwardly projected axis of such handle portion of the shaft passing through the approximate center of curvature of the said face.

A golf club of the driver type in which the plane of the sole of the club head is at an angle of approximately 55 to the shaft, comprising a head and an arcuate curved shaft secured thereto. the curve being rear ward and such that the theoretical normal Jill] ill.)

1 iii Jill? shaft for the said head would constitute the face ofgenerally spherical curvature and an chord of the arc of the actual shaft here dearcuate curved shaft secured thereto, the fined. curve being rearward and such that the pro- 1 6. A golf club of the driver type in Which jected axis of the handle portion of said 5 the plane of the sole of the club head is at shaft passes through the approximate center an angle of approximately 55 to the shaft, of curvature of the said face. comprising a head having a convex striking FRANK A. HOWARD. 

